Top 10 Jason Bourne Facts

VO: Rebecca Brayton
Script written by Nick Spake
You know his name. Join WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Jason Bourne Facts. For this list, we're taking a look at the most interesting trivia facts surrounding the upcoming fifth “Bourne” movie.
Special thanks to our users NickSpake1 or submitting the idea using our interactive suggestion tool at WatchMojo.comsuggest

Top 10 Jason Bourne Facts

You know his name. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Jason Bourne Facts.

For this list, we’re taking a look at the most interesting trivia facts surrounding the upcoming fifth “Bourne” movie.

#10: Tommy Lee Jones as a CIA Agent

In mid-2015, Tommy Lee Jones was cast in the film as CIA superior officer Robert Dewey. Not much else is known about this character, but it’s safe to say he’ll be tasked with hunting down Jason Bourne. As we all know, Jones has a knack for playing driven authority figures hell-bent on getting their man. Just watch his Oscar-winning performance in “The Fugitive” if you need some proof. If Jones can bring the same determination and charisma to this role, he could seriously give Bourne a run for his money. Of course our money will always be on the titular character.

#9: No Matt Damon for “The Bourne Conspiracy”

“Jason Bourne” will mark the anticipated return of Matt Damon to this action franchise, as the actor last played the character in 2007’s “The BourneUltimatum.” Damon could’ve reprised the role in the 2008 video game, “The Bourne Conspiracy,” but he turned the project down. Many believed his refusal was a result of the game being too violent. In reality, Damon simply felt that the game should’ve been a puzzle game like “Myst” rather than a third-person shooter. As a result, the game developers didn’t use Damon’s likeness for the character. Jeffrey Pierce, who you might recognize as the voice of Tommy from “The Last of Us,” ended up voicing the video game version of Jason Bourne in Damon’s place.

#8: Aaron Cross Won’t Appear

Since Matt Damon refused to reprise his role for “The Bourne Legacy,” the story shifted focus to Aaron Cross, a government operative played by Jeremy Renner. This spinoff of sorts aimed to capture the spirit of the original Bourne trilogy with a new character at the center of the action. While Renner’s performance was well received, the fourth “Bourne” film fell short of its exceptional predecessors on both a critical and financial level. Fans simply wanted more Jason Bourne and fortunately the studio was able to answer their pleas: Matt Damon will be taking center stage once again in the newest film while Renner’s character remains in hiding… for now.

#7: Riviera Lights Up Again

After lighting up the Las Vegas Strip for 60 years, the Riviera Hotel and Casino closed its doors in 2015. Thanks to Jason Bourne, however, this Las Vegas landmark got one last chance to shine. The climax of the 2016 film will reportedly involve a high-speed chase in which Bourne drives his car on top of a SWAT van. The vehicles will then crash through “the Riv,” which was lit up again for this extravagant stunt. At least this iconic hotel is going out in style before the Las Vegas Global Business District comes in.

#6: Super Bowl 50 Trailer

For the longest time, little to nothing was known about the fifth “Jason Bourne” film. We didn’t even know what the project would be called. Author Eric Van Lustbader, who penned the newest Bourne novels after the death of Robert Ludlum, announced via Facebook that the movie’s first trailer would debut during Super Bowl 50. Although he later deleted the post, Lustbader was true to his word: this 30-second preview not only showcased new footage, but also unveiled the film’s title. The Super Bowl trailer acted as the perfect reintroduction of Jason Bourne.

#5: A New Title Format

“The Bourne Identity,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” were all named after the original three novels by the late Robert Ludlum. Likewise, “The Bourne Legacy” was named after Eric Van Lustbader’s first continuation novel. Many assumed that the fifth “Bourne” movie would continue the pattern and be named after the fifth “Bourne” book: “The Bourne Betrayal.” But instead of following the franchise’s traditional title format, this outing is simply titled, “Jason Bourne.” According to Matt Damon, the film’s title will tie into Bourne’s “search for identity.” While iffy on the details, Damon added “the title will make more sense when you see the movie.”

#4: CinemaSins ‘Letter’

CinemaSins might’ve made a list of “Everything Wrong With ‘The Bourne Identity,’” but that doesn’t mean they dislike the original trilogy. As a matter of fact, the YouTube channel posted a video letter in mid-2014 addressed to Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, asking them to make another f*$#ing “Bourne” already. Shortly after the video was published, Damon and Greengrass confirmed their involvement in the fifth “Bourne” movie. It’s hard to say if CinemaSins influenced their decision, but it seems as if the YouTube channel might have Hollywood’s attention. As for the “Jason Bourne” teaser trailer, it’s without sin as far as CinemaSins is concerned.

#3: Jason Bourne Replaces Aaron Cross
As we mentioned earlier, Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross will not appear in the fifth “Bourne” film, but that wasn’t always the plan. Renner was originally set to star in “Bourne 5,” with “Fast and Furious” franchise director Justin Lin rumored to be at the helm. Of course, everything changed when Matt Damon agreed to return. This surprise change of plans was apparently triggered by director Paul Greengrass' return to the franchise, which was one of Damon's conditions for accepting to do another "Bourne" flick. Considering the pair's past success, we can only hope the 5th movie will deliver as well as the previous sequels did. However, this doesn’t mean we’ll never see Aaron Cross again, as Renner will reportedly reprise his role in a separate Bourne sequel.

#2: No Tony Gilroy

“Jason Bourne” reunites Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, but screenwriter Tony Gilroy is a no-show. Gilroy had a hand in writing all four of the previous “Bourne” movies, and he even directed “The Bourne Legacy.” For this outing, though, the script was penned by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse, the latter of whom won an Oscar for editing “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Thus, this will be the first “Bourne” screenplay without Gilroy’s involvement. One can’t help but wonder if this is because Damon called Gilroy’s draft for the third “Bourne” movie an “unreadable career-ender.” It’s also been reported that Greengrass and Gilroy haven’t always seen eye to eye. In any case, maybe CinemaSins should’ve written Gilroy a letter too.

Before we get to our top pick, here’s an honorable mention:
- Vincent Cassel Is the Villain

#1: Matt Damon Is Back

Remember when Sean Connery retired from playing James Bond and George Lazenby took over the role? Remember when Connery came out of retirement for the subsequent Bond film? That’s kind of what happened with the “Bourne” franchise. Upon completing “The Bourne Ultimatum,” Matt Damon claimed he was officially done, saying, “We have ridden that horse as far as we can.” Over time, Damon started to open up to the idea of another “Bourne” movie, but only if Paul Greengrass resumed his directorial duties. To the delight of many, in 2014 it was announced that Damon and Greengrass were both on board for the fifth film. It took almost ten years, but Damon finally realized he was born to be “Bourne.”

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Jason Bourne fact? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.